Salsa is a popular Latin American dance style. It combines elements of such dances as danzón, mambo, guaguancó, and Afro-Cuban folk dancing . Salsa is usually danced in pairs, but dancers can also perform solo or in groups. People all over the world dance salsa in nightclubs, bars, and restaurants and at festivals and competitions.
Salsa dance movements have their roots in 1920’s Cuban son << sohn >> dancing. Son dancing combines movements from European—primarily Spanish—and African cultures. Salsa dancing is accompanied by salsa music . Son dancing and salsa music came together in the late 1960’s in New York City, where immigrants from Puerto Rico and Latin American countries combined influences to form salsa dance.
Various styles of salsa dancing are associated with particular regions. They include Cali (Columbia) style, Cuban style, L.A. (Los Angeles) style, New York style, and Puerto Rican style. The styles differ in such elements as foot movements, dance patterns, and timing. For example, dancers may move backward and forward in a slot, or straight line, while dancing L.A.-style or New York-style salsa. In Cali style, dancers move backward diagonally.
Salsa is danced to music with four beats per measure. Dancers step on each of the first three beats. On the fourth beat, they may kick or spin or lift their partner. Dancers may move various body parts in isolation, focusing especially on the hips.
In 2002, the World Salsa Federation began holding world championship competitions in salsa dancing. In 2005, the World Salsa Championship was created. The World Latin Dance Cup, created in 2010, includes competition in salsa and other Latin American dance styles.
